By Rabbi Peretz Chein, Director of Chabad House of Brandeis University wrote on Facebook:
Today we were walking up Amsterdam Ave. in New York City after having brunch with two Brandeis alumni. Soon we realized that we needed to get back to our apartment to prepare for an alumnus’ wedding this evening.
Shortly after getting ourselves seated in the back of a taxi, we noticed that the driver was an older, white woman. Unusual.
She soon asked where we were from. First we replied Boston and then added Brooklyn.
“Where in Brooklyn?” she asked. “Crown Heights?”
“Yes,” we replied.
“You are Lubavitchers. When I was a little girl I sat on the lap of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe (Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson who passed away in 1950).”
We were astounded; we did not see that coming.
She went on to share with us, “But in my home I have a portrait of only one Rabbi. In fact when using the title Rabbi, I only refer to him. When he arrived with his family after the war, from Europe, they stayed at our home. He was a grandfather to me, and I loved him.
“His name was (Schneur) Zalman Schneerson (who was a cousin to the Previous Rebbe). Do you know him?”
“He is my great-grandfather,” Chanie replied.
Only in NYC…
thats truly amazing
First of all, stories such as this one make the previous generation so much more real to us, and are consequently so heartwarming. Second, they really are hashgocha protis stories. #9, why such a joyless attitude? These kinds of stories actually don’t “happen every day.” A simple statistical calculation would prove that. Of all the yellow cabs cruising the streets of NYC (and there are many,) there is only one driver who has the particular life story this female driver has. Of all the potential passengers who were standing at a particular spot on Amsterdam Avenue looking for a cab… Read more »
Not too many people sat on the Frierder Rebbe’s lap, but my father, Rabbi Asher Heber was one of them. The Frierdiker Rebbe sat in the big, beautiful wooden wheelchair that remains upstairs in 770. I used to sit in it as a child until my father shooed me away! My father was one of three little boys in 770 in the early 1940s.
Reb Shneur Zalman Schneerson and his wife took care of orphans in France during the war. I met one of them.
Thats my Aunt
Her family found refuge with Reb Zalman Schneerson in France under the Nazi Ocuupation during the war then emigrated to America. When Reb Zalman came to the USA in 1947 he stayed with them till he got settled.
That she sat on the Frierdiker Rebbe’s lap?
Goose bumps. Simply beautiful.
to 9- how many people have you heard of, that sat on the frierdiker rebbe’s lap as children?!
The real peleh is the woman taxi driver. That is indeed an “only in NYC” factoid.
How is zalman Schneersohn her great grandfather
maiden name? Just curious!
Beautiful!
I spoke to one of the sisters and she said it’s her bubbys sister. And rabbi sz schneerson stayed at her grandmother’s house for awhile.
I dont get the end…
Divine personal providence!
I heard she’s the great aunt of the Steinhauser family in crown heights.
that also happened in california a few years ago